Dear Dirt Doctor

Howard Garrett has converted gardeners throughout Texas and beyond to gardening the natural way without chemical fertilizers and toxic pesticides. In this revised and updated edition of The Dirt Doctor's Guide to Organic Gardening, he uses a question-and-answer format to present a wealth of new information on organic gardening, landscaping, pest control, and natural living. The book also incorporates valuable feedback and suggestions from gardeners who've successfully used Howard's methods.

Howard Garrett has a weekly column in the Dallas Morning News and a monthly Dirt Doctor's Dirt magazine.

Introduction: Basics of Going Organic

1

(1)

Ten Reasons to Go Organic

1

(3)

Basic Organic Program

4

(6)

Balance of Chemistry, Physics, and Biology

10

(2)

Soil and Bed Preparation

12

(9)

Bed Preparation

13

(1)

Planting in Solid Rock

13

(1)

Mulch

14

(4)

Peat Moss

18

(1)

Treated Wood in the Garden or Landscape

19

(2)

Compost

21

(8)

Basics

21

(1)

Compost Questions

22

(4)

Compost Checklist

26

(3)

Synthetic versus Natural Fertilizers

29

(10)

Types of Organic Fertilizers

31

(8)

Pest Control and Beneficial Insects

39

(28)

Althea Rust

39

(1)

Ants

40

(1)

Aphids and Other Small Insects

41

(1)

Armyworms

42

(1)

Bagworms and Caterpillars

42

(1)

Bees

42

(1)

Beneficial Insects

43

(1)

Borers in Trees

43

(1)

Boxelder Bugs

44

(1)

Brown Recluse Spiders

44

(1)

Butterflies

45

(1)

Chiggers

45

(1)

Chinch Bugs

46

(1)

Crickets

46

(1)

Cutworms

46

(1)

Fire Ants

47

(1)

Fireflies

48

(1)

Fleas

48

(1)

Flies

49

(1)

Forest Tent Caterpillars

50

(1)

Grasshoppers

50

(1)

Grubworms

51

(1)

House Pests

52

(1)

Mealybugs

53

(1)

Moles

53

(1)

Mosquitoes

54

(1)

Nematodes

55

(1)

Powdery Mildew on Crape Myrtles

56

(1)

Rhino Beetles

57

(1)

Roaches

57

(1)

Scale

57

(1)

Scorpions

58

(1)

Slugs, Snails, and Pillbugs

59

(1)

Soldier Flies

59

(1)

Spider Mites

59

(1)

Squash Bugs

60

(1)

Tarantulas

60

(1)

Termites

61

(2)

Thrips

63

(1)

Ticks

63

(1)

Tomato Blight

63

(1)

Wasps

64

(2)

Webworms

66

(1)

Whiteflies

66

(1)

Pest Control Products

67

(15)

Baking Soda

67

(1)

Cinnamon

67

(1)

Citrus Oil

68

(1)

Citrus Peelings

68

(1)

Corn Gluten Meal

69

(2)

Cornmeal

71

(2)

Diatomaceous Earth

73

(1)

D-limonene

74

(1)

Dormant Oil

74

(1)

Garlic

75

(1)

Hydrogen Peroxide

75

(1)

Lava Sand

75

(2)

Molasses

77

(1)

Nosema

78

(1)

Orange Oil (D-limonene)

78

(1)

Pepper

79

(1)

Toxic Products

79

(1)

Vinegar

80

(2)

Landscaping and Garden Maintenance

82

(23)

Azaleas

82

(1)

Bulbs

83

(1)

Burning Leaves

83

(1)

Detoxifying Contaminated Soil

84

(1)

Earthworm Suicide

84

(1)

Erosion

85

(1)

Fall Is for Planting

85

(1)

Flower Fragrance

86

(1)

Foliar Feeding

87

(1)

Fungi

88

(1)

Gardenias

88

(1)

Ground-Cover Choices

89

(1)

Hollies

89

(1)

Horseherb

90

(1)

Hyacinth Beans

90

(1)

Hyacinths

91

(1)

Hydroponic Gardening

91

(1)

Indian Hawthorn

92

(1)

Ivy in Trees

92

(1)

Lantana

93

(1)

Living Fences

93

(1)

Maintenance

94

(1)

Mushrooms

94

(1)

Nandinas

94

(1)

Pansies

94

(1)

Perennials

95

(1)

Periwinkles

96

(1)

Petunias

96

(1)

Photinias

96

(2)

Poison Ivy

98

(1)

Ponds

98

(1)

Roots and Pool Plaster

99

(1)

Seasonal Color

99

(1)

Soil Leveling and Armadillos

100

(1)

Sprayers

101

(1)

Steel Edging

101

(1)

Vine Choices

102

(1)

Vine Removal

102

(1)

Weeds

103

(2)

Trees

105

(28)

American Elm

105

(1)

Bald Cypress

106

(1)

Bradford Pears

106

(1)

Bur Oak Fungus

107

(1)

Chinese Pistachio

107

(1)

Chinkapin Oak

108

(1)

Chlorosis

109

(1)

Christmas Tree Care

109

(1)

Drought-Tolerant Trees

109

(1)

Lightning Damage

110

(1)

Live Oaks

110

(1)

Mimosas and Carpenter Ants

111

(1)

Mistletoe

112

(1)

Mulberries and New Trees

112

(1)

Pecans

113

(1)

Pines

114

(1)

Post Oaks

115

(2)

Pruning

117

(1)

Redbud Transplants

118

(1)

Royal Paulownia

119

(1)

Shantung Maple

119

(1)

Shumard Red Oak

120

(1)

Sick Tree Treatment

120

(3)

Staking Trees

123

(1)

Stump Removal

124

(1)

Sweetgums

124

(1)

Transplanting Trees

125

(1)

Tree Planting

126

(2)

Tree Problems

128

(1)

Tree Recommendations

129

(1)

Tree Replacement

129

(1)

Tree Root/Foundation Problems

130

(1)

Tree Seedlings

131

(1)

Trees in Rocky Soil

132

(1)

Herbs

133

(15)

Disease-Controlling Herbs

133

(1)

Easy-to-Grow Herbs

134

(1)

Herb Tea

135

(3)

Pest Control Program for Herbs

138

(1)

Begonias

139

(1)

Echinacea

140

(1)

Hibiscus

140

(2)

Lemon Balm

142

(1)

Oregano

142

(1)

Passion Flower

143

(1)

Roses

143

(3)

Turk's Cap

146

(1)

Witch Hazel

147

(1)

Vegetables, Fruits, and Other Food Crops

148

(10)

Aloe Vera

148

(1)

Banana Trees

148

(1)

Companion Planting

149

(1)

Hairy Vetch

150

(1)

Onions

150

(2)

Peppers

152

(3)

Potatoes

155

(1)

Rotating Crops

155

(1)

Sweet Potatoes

156

(1)

Tomatoes

156

(1)

Veggie Washes

157

(1)

Wildflowers and Wild Flowers

158

(10)

Wild Flower Shrubby Plants

161

(1)

Wild Flower Trees

161

(1)

Wild Flower Vines

162

(1)

Common Wildflowers

163

(4)

Bluebonnets

167

(1)

Turf

168

(12)

Choosing Which Grass to Plant

168

(2)

Bermudagrass Seed and Cornmeal

170

(1)

Buffalograss

170

(1)

Fescue

171

(1)

Fungal Turf Diseases

171

(1)

Grass and Tree Roots

172

(1)

Grassburs

172

(1)

Grass Clippings

173

(1)

Grass Removal

173

(1)

Lawn Leveling

174

(1)

Ryegrass and Other Cover Crops

174

(1)

Sod

175

(1)

Spring Weeds, Grass Planting

176

(2)

St. Augustine

178

(1)

Weeding

178

(1)

Zoysia

179

(1)

Indoor Houseplants

180

(3)

Potting Soil

181

(1)

Bonsai

181

(1)

Ficus Trees

182

(1)

Wildlife/Animals

183

(4)

Armadillos

183

(1)

Birds

183

(1)

Butterfly Gardens

184

(1)

Dogs and Cats

185

(1)

Lizards

185

(1)

Mice and Rats

185

(1)

Snakes

185

(1)

Turtles

186

(1)

Appendix

187

(10)

Books and Other Publications

187

(3)

Formulas

190

(7)

Index

197

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